Means for creating and supplying explosive mixture to explosive-engines.



J. J. GOGHRAN.

MEANS FOR GREATING AND SUPPLYING EXPLOSIVE MIXTURE T0 EXPLOSIVB ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 29, 1911.

1,102,475, Patented July 7, 1914.

Fig.1.

"n. l//////////. I

h'wenhor:

Abb'vs.

THE NORRIS PETERS CO. PHUTO-LITHQ, WASHINGTON. D U

pnrrnp s'rirrns arana orrrrori.

JOHN J". GOCHRAN, OF ST. LOUIS, MIS$OURL MEANS rortcnnerme ANDSUPPLYING- nxrtosrvn'inrx runn ro nxrnosrvn- ENGINES:

. Patented July Q, 1914.

Application filed May 29, 1911. Serial No. 630,077.

Engines, of which the following is a full,

clear, and exact description, referencebeing had to the accompanyingdrawings, forming part of this specification.

My invention relates to means for mixing the fumes of hydrocarbon oilswith air and then delivering the mixture of fumes and air to thecylinders of explosive engines, the improvement being more especiallyintended for use in supplying an initial quantity of explosive mixtureto the cylinders of explosive engines for the purpose of providing forthe engine being started withoutthe necessity of resorting to the usualand common expedient of cranking the engine. The improvement is,however, of such nature as to provide for the supply of explosivemixture to the engine in sutlicient quantity to meet all the needs ofthe engine when in full operation.

Figurel is in part an elevation and inpart a vertical sectionillustrating my im-j provement, the engine shown illustrated dia-1grammatically. Fig. 11 is a vertical cross section through thedistribution box. Fig.

III is a vertical longitudinal section through the distribution box.

In the accompanying drawings:

A designates an engine which, in the example shown, comprises sixcylinders designated 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6.

7 designates the shell of a carbureter into which hydrocarbon oil isdelivered from any suitable source of supply, preferably a tank, (notshown), communicating with adelivery pipe 8 that leads to a float box 9in communication with the carbureter chamber, and in which is a float 10that controls the level of oil maintained in the carbureter chamben Atthe upper end of the carbureter chamber is a throat 11 that providescommunication between said chamber and an explosive mixture conductingpipe 12 leading to a distribution box B into which explosive mixture isdelivered by said pipe after it has been produced in the chamber of thecarbureter. The distrib has: B placed in communication with the severalcylinders of the engine A by a series of delivery pipes 14 into whichthe entrance of explosive mixture is controlled in a manner to behereinafter fully de scribed. 1

l5 designates a manifold communicable with the throat 11 at the upperend of the carbureter chamber andwhich may be cut off from communicationwith said throat by a throttle valve 16 operable in any suitable manner.The manifold 15 has connected to it a series of conducting pipes 17 thatlead to the several cylinders of the engine A.

The explosive mixture produced in the operation of my apparatus isproduced by the creation of an air circulation in the carbureter chamberthat causes the volatile matter of the hydrocarbon oil therein to bedrawn from the oil and delivered to the engme cylinders as fumes 1ncontradistinction to the usual practice 1n carburlzation involving theatomization-of the hydrocarbon oil and the delivery of the volatilematter of ation of the engine, the cylinders are supplied with theexplosive mixture through the medium of the pipes 17 which lead from themanifold 15, said mixture being drawn into the cylinders in a wellunderstood manner while their pistons are on their suction stroke. Airis supplied to the carbureter nozzle through a pipe 19 provided with aspring actuated check valve which opens during the suction strokes ofthe engine. An auxiliary pipe 7, leading to the interior of the shell 7,is provided with a check valve controlled by a spring which holds saidvalve on its seat during low speeds,'but allows it toopen duringhighspeeds when the suction in the carbureter shell becomes excessive.

To startthe engine, air under pressure is delivered to the nozzle 18 bysuitable means such, for instance, as that shown, compris ing an airconducting pipe 19 and a hand pump 20. It is obvious, however, that a mechanically operated pump may be utilized inlieu or the, hand pump as andalso that i therewith.

a storage air reservoir may be utilized in connection with the airconducting pipe.

To facilitate the acquirement' of fumes from a-hydrocarbon oil in thechamber of my carbureter, I provide in conjunction with the carburetershell a heating chamber 21, communicating with the exhaust pipeof theengine, said chamber being preferably located at the bottom of theshell, (see Fig. I). The carbureter shell is also providedwith-a chamber21 through which a circulation of hot water or other fluid acquired inany suitable manner may be maintained to keep the hydrocarbon oil "in aheated condition, so that fumes from the oil may be more readily andconstantly obtained.

Each of the several explosive mixture conducting pipes 14L locatedbetween thecylinders of the engine and the distribution box B issupplied with controlling valves 22 all of which are operable by ashifter rod 23, through the medium of which the valves may be opened andclosed to establish communication between the engine cylinders anddistribution box, or discontinue such communication. V

I will next proceed to thedescription of the distribution box B, whichis present in my apparatus to provide for the proper delivery ofexplosive mixture to the cylinders of the engine when the engine is tobe port 27. The passageways 26 lead from the delivery pipes 14 to acompartment 28 at the rear of the distribution box 13 and havevalve's'eats 29 and 30 at their opposite ends, (see Fig. II). A ballvalve 31 is loosely arranged in each passageway 26 so as to be free toroll from end to end thereof and abut one of the valve seats 29 and 30.-When one of the balls 31 is located on a valve seat 30, an explosivemixture passing through the conducting pipe 12 and entering the maincompartment 25 cannot pass into the pipe 14; adjacent to said valve seat80, however when the'ball is on the seat 29 an explosive mixture may beforced through the passageway 26 and pipe 14 communicating The operationof this deviceasan engine startingapparatus is as follows: After theengine stops, all of the valves 22 are opened through the medium of theshifter rod 23 and explosive mixture will then pass from certain.cylinders into the pipes 14 leading therefrom. The pistons in thecylinders from which this explosive mixture flows are either on theircompression strokeor their :POWGI stroke and the mixture is thereforeunder compression. It should be noted that the piston in one of the.cylindersv which gives up the explosive mixture i'sjon its power strokeand that if this same mixture, I

or a fresh mixture, is introduced into said cylinder it maybe'ignitedwith the result of starting the engine. Assuming [that three of thecylinders contain a compressed charge toward the seats 29 a certainamount of the compressed mixture will pass the balls and escape'into therear compartment 28;. the

other three balls will therefore be forced against the valve seats 30 bypressure from the rear compartment. It should now be understood thatthree of the ball valves-B1 are-positioned to allow an explosive mixtureto pass from the main compartment 25 to the cylinders which containedthe compressed mixture, while the other three balls 1 p are located onthe seats 30 so as to prevent the'mixture from passing into theother'cylinders To start the engine, the pump 20 is operated to forceair through the carbureter nozzle. 18 and delivery pipe 12, thisaircarrying with it fumes of the hydrocarbon oil in the carbureterchamber, thereby producing an explosive mixture which isv delivered tothe distribution box B under pressure. This mixture enters the maincompartment 25, passes into certain pasageways 26, and is finallydelivered to certain'cylinders through closed and to start the engine itis then only necessary to ignite the charge in one of the cylinders inthe ordinary manner. The first threepower strokes are caused by'exploding the mixture which has been forced through the distributionbox, but thereafter the mixture is drawn into the cylinders throughpipes 17 during the suction strokes in the -usualmann er. v Y

I claim 1. An apparatus v engines comprising a distribution box having amain compartment, a series of pasfor starting explosive sagewayscommunicating with said main compartment, and a second compartmentcommunicating with one of the ends of each of said passageways; pipesleading from the other ends of the passageways and adapted tocommunicate with the engine cylinders, valves arranged in saidpassageways and adapted to close either end thereof, and means forforcing an explosive mixture to said main compartment.

2. An apparatus for starting explosive engines comprising a distributionbox having a main compartment, a series of passageways communicatingwith said main compartment and a second compartment communicating withone of the ends of each of said passageways; pipes leading from theother ends of the passageways and furnishing communication with theengine cylinders, ball valves arranged in said passageways and adaptedto close either end thereof, and means for forcing an explosive mixtureto said main compartment.

J N O. J. COOHRAN.

In the presence of A. J. MCCAULEY, E. B. LINN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. G.

